A total of six people are in custody in connection with last month's fatal shooting of Border Patrol Agent Brian Terry, but none have been charged with Terry's death, according to local media reports.
The Arizona Daily Star reported that Ray Kondo, assistant chief
for the U.S. Marshals in Tucson, said all six men have made initial appearances in federal court and have only been charged with immigration-related offenses.
Terry, 40, was killed on December 14 while he and other agents were in the desert canyons of southeastern Arizona hunting down bajadores, or bandits, who lurk in the shadows and prey on the illegal border-crossers.
They were attempting to arrest a
group of suspects reportedly armed with AK-47s near Rio Rico, Arizona
-- about 10 miles from the U.S.-Mexico border, law enforcement officials
report.
Santa Cruz County Sheriff Tony Estrada told New Times that the
canyons in that area hot spots for drug- and human-smugglers. It isn't
uncommon for specially-trained agents to patrol that high-risk area.
FBI spokesman Manuel Johnson told the Daily Star he couldn't
confirm the Marshals report about the two additional men in custody,
saying only that they were advised about the four men arrested by the
Border Patrol the night of the shooting.
